This invention relates to rotary engines and, more particularly, to apex seals and apex seal assemblies for such engines.
Prior art of possible relevance includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,489 to Frenzel and 3,485,217 to Irgens.
While the basic construction and operational principles of rotary engines such as so-called "Wankel" engines have long been known, they have not yet met with any appreciable commercial utilization. A large factor in the absence of appreciable commercialization is the inability to provide reliable, long-lived seals in the engines. This is particularly true of apex seals. Consequently, it is desirable to increase the reliability of apex seals.
A typical rotary engine employing apex seals employs a multiplicity of components in each seal, all of which are typically individually assembled into the rotor. The number of parts, coupled with individual assembly, not only raises the cost of the engine, but reduces the reliability of the product. As will be appreciated, when the customary six components, usually the seal itself, two bolts and three biasing springs, are all individually assembled into the rotor, there is a distinct possibility that one or more of the parts may be omitted, with the result that in use, the defective seal will soon fail.